Sunsets in the Park
by Trinxy
Summary: Spring descends on New York and our favorite pair decides to enjoy an afternoon in Central Park. Sweet, fluffy, slightly AU & takes place in the future, partly. Family & Kids.
1. Sunsets in the park

Kate just loved to be in this moment. Laying in the sunlight, letting the warm rays caress her face and make her warm. She was slowly combing through the hair of the head she had in her lap. She carefully slid her fingers through the dark brown curls, savouring the feeling. These curls were perfect, so soft and lovely. Looking down to the face of the beautiful lady who owned those locks, she just felt the bubbles of happiness bursting inside her. She smiled to her and the girl smiled back.

They were sitting down on a little red checkered blanket under a big tree that was in the far end of the grass area. Central Park was buzzing with people today, since the winter was over and the warmth had arrived to the city. A cold breeze sent a chill down the body now and then, but it didn't ruin the perfect spring weather in New York. Everything had gone green in a few short days and warmth still lingered around the city. It was the perfect day to enjoy the sunlight and breathe in the fresh air.

"Mom?" Kate heard a soft sleepy voice from her lap. She smiled.

"Yes, darling?" Kate answered.

"Do you think dad got held up by that game?" the quiet voice asked again.

"What game?" Kate was puzzled.

"You know, the shooting game near to the ice-cream truck. We passed it when we came to the park," girl answered.

Kate snorted out a laugh. Her daughter knew her father too well. "I am pretty sure that's where he is," she answered back. "I am hoping to see those ice creams he promised. Today, not tomorrow," she added with a smirk, looking down at her daughter's face. The head in her lap was now facing her. Brown eyes as intense as hers were looking back at her, amusement in them. She started laughing at her mom's words.

"Yeah, me too," she answered with a chuckle. She turned her face away from her, looking over the cityscape view.

They continued sitting in silence, soaking in the sunlight, listening to the voices of the city and the park around them and enjoying their mother-daughter bonding time. It had been too long since they last had been here and just sat down and enjoyed the day. Kate's work had gone crazy lately and she had been having trouble finding the time to spend with her family. Finally, she had taken a week off to do just that. They had decided to come to the park for the afternoon, before Alexis and her husband arrive.

A few minutes had passed by since either of them spoke. Kate felt her daughter shifting on her lap, turning her head to the right. She decided to follow her daughters gaze and turned her head to the right too. She immediately noticed what her daughter had seen - her dad waltzing closer with 3 ice creams in his hands. Kate chuckled at the sight. "Some of us will never grow up," she mumbled to herself but loud enough for her daughter to hear.

"Hahaha, mom," she laughed at the statement, her hazel eyes sparkling with laughter, making Kate smile and let out a little laugh too. She lifted her head from her mom's lap and sat up more upright, her brown curls cascading down her shoulders. Sitting there together, they looked so much alike, laughing together with the same throaty voice.

"What are my two favourite girls laughing about?" Rick asked as he approached them.

"We are laughing at you," Kate heard her daughter answer him before she could react. She smiled again, looking at Rick. He stopped right in front of them and held out the ice creams for the ladies. They both took the cold desserts from him with a little 'thank you' and started eating them. Rick groaned as he settled himself down to the picnic blanket beside to Kate.

"Getting old?" Kate teased Rick with a smirk on her face. Rick settled himself down while trying to come up with a retort. His face was full of smiles and as soon as he had settled, he answered, "Only together with you." The usual game the two of them played daily, teasing and prodding, loving and caring. Kate looked at him, her heart melting again. It never got old, the words they shared were real and they meant them, each and every time they said them. They smiled at each other lovingly.

"You ARE old, dad," their daughter poked her opinion in the middle of their mental cuddling.

"Why, thank you, Mads!" His face went from smile to horrified. "I am not THAT old!" he hissed.

"Oh PLEASE!" Maddie rolled her eyes, the very same way her mother always did. Guess, she had learned from the best. "You already have some gray hair in there," she smirked, her eyes getting sneaky and she pointed to his hair. "And I am pretty certain there is a bald spot... riiight there."

"What!" he looked truly horrified now, his free hand flew up to his hair, touching the spot his daughter had pointed out. Finding everything in place, no bald spots, he narrowed his eyes and held his finger up, his daughter laughing loudly at him.

"You, my darling, are pure evil!" he said, wagging his finger and catching a breath, making Maddie laugh even more. "I am too old for those kinds of tricks." He put his hand down and touched his chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Do you want to get rid of your old man?" He was on a roll, a smile started to crawl back at his face. "You are as cruel as your mother!" he finished.

Kate's, who was looking at the interaction between her darlings with a smile on her face, her eyes widened now. "What did I do?" she asked him, trying to look horrified and innocent but the sparkle of fun in her eyes blew her cover.

"You are teaching her ways to give me heart attacks, just like you always do to me," he stated, pulling her closer to him and placing a kiss to her cheek. She leaned in, letting his lips ghost against her face. He sighed and whispered in her ear. "You are always teasing me, you cruel woman." Their daughter now had stopped laughing and was glaring at them.

"Please, dad, please keep things PG (rated) here, you know that I am still under age," Maddie exasperated looking at her parents and rolling her eyes at their silent smooches. Kate chuckled at her. She was cute when she was annoyed at them.

"Hey, don't roll your eyes, little lady!" he raised his voice in amusement. "It was only a peck! We are in a public place now," he said, mildly amused. "Who do you think I am?" he snorted out a puff of laughter.

Maddie rolled her eyes again. "With you two, I can't be sure of anything," she stated matter of factly.

"Oh really?" he said smirking and his face lit up in joy. "Then watch this," he mumbled and he caught Kate's face with his free arm and pulled it towards him. Kate, letting out a little yelp of surprise, didn't fight back and leaned more in to him, He covered her lips with his and started moving them in a slow, but passionate way. Maddy turned her face from them, her free hand covering her eyes, making the sound imitating of vomiting.

"You guys are disgusting!" she sighed, in an annoyed manner. Then her cell started to vibrate and loud pop music came somewhere from her pants pockets.

Her mom and dad smiled in unison as they separated from each other, when the cell started ringing. Raising her eyes to meet his, she leaned in and gave a little peck to his lips. Settling back to a sitting position again, she smiled again. It really was a good, sunny day in park. She continued to eat her ice cream and watched her daughter with interest, as did Rick.

Maddie, with one hand up in the air, holding her half melted ice cream, was trying to desperately find her cellphone from her pants pockets. When she finally found it, she raised it to her ear and cheered in the microphone. "Heeey Jaimeeee!" she squealed. "Where are ya?" she asked hurriedly. "Yeah, I know, yes... um... about 10 minutes, why? Okay, I'll be there!" she hung up and raised her head to observe her parents.

Rick's interest was peaked. "Jaime is in the city?" he asks. "Why didn't he say something before?" he wondered, looking at his daughter.

"I really don't know," she answered. "He called me to meet him at the 69th and Madison. He says that I need meet him there. I have no idea what's up. Sorry, dad." she sighed.

Rick smiled, watching her rambling nervously. She reminded him of himself, when he is nervous and wants to do something without Kate knowing it. He cut in, "Go, be back soon. Bring Jaime here for a minute too, since he is in the city."

"Hey Mads?" Kate called her, as her daughter stood up from the picnic blanket. She turned herself, facing her mom. "Could you get us coffees from that coffee shop 5th ave? The one we like should be near to the 69th, if I recall correctly." Kate finished.

"Of course, mom," she said while she bent down and kissed her mom on the cheek. Then she shifted and did the same to her father. "I'm gonna go now." She turned and hurried away.

"Be back soon!" Kate called her as she was walking away fast. Maddie threw up her hand in sign that she heard her.

After looking her daughter disappear behind the trees, Kate turned her face to observe Rick as he was watching the same direction where Maddie had disappeared. Slowly he turned his head to face her too. They looked each other for a long time, love and trust flowing between them. She shifted herself closer in his embrace bringing her head closer to him. He lowered his face to hers and their lips met in slow and loving kiss. They took their time, exploring their lips and mouths again and again. It felt like hours when they finally part, trying to catch their breaths. He pulled her closer, resting his nose to the crook of her neck while she did the same. He whispered softly in her ear, "God, I missed you." This quiet statement made her hug him even harder. She whispered back. "I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said back in a soft tone. "You have been busy, so have I." He shifted in their embrace, leaning away a bit, so that they were looking at each other now.

She whispered, "I know."

They sat in silence for a long while. He pulled her back in his embrace, her head rests on his shoulder. He sniffed her hair, those beautiful brown curls that now have some lines of silver in them. They still had that distinctive smell of her in them. The smell he still remembered when they first met. He smiled then.

"Do you remember what day it is?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes," she sighs. "How can I not remember this day?" she raised her head and looked at him, rolling her eyes but smiling widely.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading this fiction of mine. I hope you enjoyed it as I did while writing it. I have lots of ideas where to go with it, so keep up! Hehee. I would love you to review my story as well, make suggestions where to go with the story! I am still new at fanfiction field and I am still testing myself. If you find mistakes, please ignore or point them out to me in PM. It will help me to evolve. A big thanks goes to my best proofreader and bestie in CastleTV chatroom – PenguinOfTroy. Thank you Dave-ck, Fooxoo and HippyDragonGirl for reading it through and making it better! **

_**Disclaimer: Nothing from the show Castle belongs to me, everything is from the genius named Andrew Marlowe**_

**Again, thank you for reading, mi darlings**!


	2. Surprises and Anniversaries

_It was a slightly cloudy day in Central Park. Big clouds of thunder had just rolled away from New York city and rays of sunlight were peeking behind stripey clouds. The day was gorgeous for walking around, it was filled with fresh air and the smell of rain. They walked together, her hand tightly holding his. He wouldn't let go of her if his life depended on it. He stole a glance at her every now and then, just checking if she was alright. _

"_You don't need to check on me, Castle." she said sharply. Even though it was kind of sweet, she didn't want him to be worried. _

"_I am not checking, can't I just admire you without you shooting me down all the time?" he smiled at her and tried to pretend everything was okay. _

"_Hah, you can't really lie, Castle. Honestly, I am okay." She tried to calm him down. _

_"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. "You still look pale," he added. _

_She stopped walking and turned herself towards him, as he was now stopping too. She looked into his eyes and stressed her words. "Castle, I am okay. Please don't worry." she said, smiling. He could not not smile back to her. The corners of his mouth crawled upwards as he smiled back to her, trying to be positive. He pulled her into his embrace, planting a kiss to her forehead and wrapping his arms around her. She sighed and sneaked her arms around his hips, letting her head rest on his chest. There they stood, in the middle of the dirt road in Central Park, holding each other in a tight embrace. _

_He whispered, his mouth close to her ear, "I was so afraid today." He knitted his hands more tightly around her, pressing her hard against his chest. _

_Kate felt her heart tighten. To be honest, she had been afraid too. Having a conversation with your colleagues at one moment and waking at the hospital the next, Rick staring back at her, his eyes filled with deep concern - it was both confusing and scary. She had fainted, in the middle of the freaking precinct, under the noses of all detectives who worked there. She was okay, she really was. The doctor had said it was normal for her, to have moments of weakness. She really was okay, after all she didn't have to stay at the hospital anymore. Her only worry remained though - how to serve the truth to her partner. She sighed against his chest and tried to loosen his grip on her. He was reluctant to let her go, but he obeyed and loosened his tight embrace. She stood in front of him, searching for his hand. She pulled his hand to get his attention. _

_"Castle, let's go and find someplace where we could sit," she said, starting to step away and leading him by his hand. He followed her lead. As he always did. She had always been his guiding light. They walked in silence until Kate spotted a bench in the shadow of a little bush. It was the perfect place to sit down and have intimate conversation. They walked to the bench and sat down in unison, their hands still joined. She turned her body to face his. She sighed. This conversation wasn't the easiest to go through. He eyed her with caution. Like she was a toy that could break in any minute. _

_She sighed, before she opened her mouth. "Castle." she simply said. Catching his attention. He squeezed her hand._

"_What's the matter?" he asked. _

"_There was a reason why I fainted," she said in serious tone. _

_"I... I would assume so," he answered her, trying to make a joke, but failing. She was silent. She didn't know what to say to him._

"_The doctor said... uhm... he said..." she stuttered, not knowing how to break the news. _

_Castle, now dead serious, didn't know what to do, or expect. He stared at her intensively, hoping that the news wouldn't be so bad. Is she ill? Is she dying? What is going on? He closed his eyes to prepare him for the worst and hanged his head. _

"_Castle, I'm pregnant," she said with a quiet voice, barely a whisper._

_Castle's head snapped up so fast that Kate could have sworn that she heard a whiplash._

"_What?" he exclaimed. He had no words coming out of his mouth. The feeling was new to him, not knowing what to say. Kate was now observing his reactions. His eyes were glued to hers and his mouth opened and closed few times. He puffed out a breath of air. "Really?" he asked, finally smiling, his eyes full of hope and joy. _

"_Yes, really," she answered, squeezing his hand in her palms. "That's why I fainted in the precinct. The doctor said my blood sugar levels were very low and had been for a while. Since my body has now a new life growing inside, it requires more nutrition. And I have been neglecting to give nutrition to my body recently. You know, the last case we had. I am not even sure when I ate the last time..." she trailed off, feeling Rick's hands lifting from her grasp. She closed her eyes. She was still unsure how he could react. 'Did he even wanted children? What would become of this child if he didn't want it, what could...' her thought process was cut short when she felt his hands touching her neck and shoulder and pulling her closer to him gently. She managed to open her eyes for split second before she felt his hand under her chin and lifting it up. Blue eyes met hazel before they closed and their lips met. Rick pulled her closer with force, trying to cling desperately to her. He claimed her lips with passion, craving the taste of her. She kissed him back with the same intensity, feeling his lips part and his tongue searching for home. _

_Finally they broke away from each other, gasping for air they had denied to their bodies, their faces still connected. He pulled her into his lap even more and whispered to her ear. "I am so glad." He hugged her. "I thought you were dying or something... " he breathed out, feeling the heavy weight lifting from his heart. _

_Her face buried in his shoulder, she let out a chuckle. "Dying, really, Castle?" she asked. _

"_You fainted in the middle of the freaking precinct, what else I was suppose to think?" He chuckled too. _

_She slid her fingers through his hair, playing with them. "I should have known," she mumbled against his shoulder._

_"What?" he asked, puzzled._

"_Only you can be so overly dramatic..." she chuckled._

_He joined her in silent laughter of relief. Then he moved away a little bit and raised her head. Their eyes met. "We are having a baby," he whispered and closed in the distance again, her lips meeting his halfway. _

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"How could I not remember what day it is?" she asks from him surprised that he'd even ask this question. She reaches for his hand and just like she did all of those years ago. "It's the day our family started, all those years ago" she says, glowing with joy. He joins her and smiles too, remembering the day as it was yesterday. "It was the happiest day of my life," he agrees.

She snorts out a laugh and hums. "Mmm... I think we have had several happiest days. And today was definitely one of them," she agrees with him. She leans back and extends out her arm, trying to get something out from their picnic basket. Fumbling through things she can't find what she wants, so she shuffles closer to the basket. Finally, she finds what she was searching for and raises it up with victory. The bottle of champagne in her hands now, she finds two glasses and sits back to Rick's side.

She gives the bottle to her husband and says, "I think this is worth celebrating." Rick nods and smiles and starts uncorking the bottle. The cork flies off with a bang and the bubbly alcohol starts to flow out of the bottle, making Kate squeal. They both start to laugh in unison and Kate tries to catch the liquid with the cups. Finally they get the necessary amount of the champagne in the cups and he puts the bottle down. He raises his glass.

"To anniversaries!" he says.

"To perfect days," she adds.

They clink their glasses together and raise them to their mouths. Taking few sips of that delicious, bubbly liquid, they put the glasses away together. She raises herself up a bit and plants a little peck to his chin.

"Thank you for making me take a break," she says in a low voice. "I needed it. I needed this, today."

"You are welcome," he says, putting an arm around her.

They settle down and chat together for minutes, a half an hour, stopping every now and then to take a sip of the champagne. They haven't had this kind of peaceful moment for a while and they are catching up with each other.

"Javier called the other day," she says interrupting the silence.

"Oh?" he is surprised at the statement.

"Yeah, he seems to be quite happy in the 9th precinct," she shares. "The position as a Captain there has made his ego grow bigger at least two sizes," she snorts out.

"Haha," he laughs with her. "I am quite sure he is pleased with his place there. He is a good leader".

"He really is," she agrees. "He also said that Carlos is finishing off his first year in Harvard with excellent grades. He is one proud papa." She smiles.

"Carlos is really good boy too, he could make every papa proud," he says, his eyes travel around the horizon. His gaze halts and he notices something in the background. He mumbles, "Speaking of being a proud papa," and he nods towards the east side of the park, making her look the same way. She notices the same thing as Rick.

"Ooohh..." she breathes out.

As the two figures get closer, both Kate and Rick stand up to greet them.

Rick opens his mouth first. "James!" he stretches out his hands and pulls him in a big bear hug, huge grin on his face. "Why on earth didn't you tell us you were in the city?" he inquires, reluctant to let him go.

"It wouldn't been surprise for you then," Jamie answers back chuckling and hugging Rick back hard. Finally Rick lets him go and James turns to hug Kate.

"Mom," he says, wrapping his arms around her. "I have missed you." He hugs her tightly. Kate smiles so intensely she feels her cheeks hurting.

"Oh, my baby boy," she sighs. "You are back at home. Oh, I have missed you too, dear boy." She hugs him tightly, trying to make up for lost time.

Maddy, who has been observing them from a distance, now comes closer, big smile plastered on her face, holding a little tray of coffee cups on her hands. As her brother and her mom finish their embrace, the family settles down on the blanket. Maddie puts down the coffee tray and sits between her dad and her brother, trying to stay close to James. She has been missing her big brother so badly this year. She takes two cups from the cupholder and gives them to her mom and dad. Kate accepts it with a thankful nod and takes a sip, closing her eyes for a moment.

James notices the glasses and the bottle and mentions, "I see you have been celebrating here already"

"Indeed we have," Rick answers. "It's a beautiful day outside and I succeeded to get your mother out of her work. I think it needed celebration." Kate only grins. She knows that he has been trying to get her out of the office for weeks, but days have been busy in the NYPD Headquarters. Being a Chief of Detectives wasn't an easy job, but she had managed it wonderfully so far. But she had really needed that break. And he had masterfully planned that vacation out.

Maddy looks at Jamie and they both grin in unison. They both have that sparkle of mischief in their eyes and their father catches it almost immediately. After all, they are his children.

"What's going on with you two?" he asks.

"Well, now that you ask," Jamie starts. "We have been planning a surprise for you two. I am glad you haven't figured it out yet, dad," he smirks.

"A surprise?" Kate asks.

Maddy butts in "Since it is your anniversary today, we thought we should do something special for you, guys," she shares.

"Anniversary?" Kate asks, raising her eyebrows. She is mentally checking all of the biggest events in her's and Rick's lives but nothing pops out right at the moment. Rick's face displays the same amount of confusion as well, when she looks at him.

Maddy rolls her eyes at her mom and asks "You guys don't remember at all?" She smiles widely now. "How can you guys not remember the day you met each other?"

Kate looks from Maddy's face to Jamie's face and then to Rick's face. Rick meets her gaze with a surprised expression at his face.

When their children were little, she and Rick used to tell them stories about when they met and what had happened before they started living together and before they were born. Apparently, the children had remembered the stories, and now, they are up to something.

Rick smiles in awe. "It is... " he stutters. "It really is the anniversary, Kate." He beams at her now. "Today, 25 years ago, you tackled me down at my book-launch party, making me follow you around and eventually, making me fall in love with you."

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**A/N: Thank you PenguinOfTroy and Fooxoo for all of your support, and making this chapter happen. I wouldn't be doing this without you guys. **

**Please review if you like the story. I know the story I am writing, I just need a little bit encouragement :)**


	3. Date Night

The sun is slowly descending behind the skyscrapers beyond the park horizon. The sun, which has been warming the family sitting under the big oak in the far end of the green grass, is slowly fading away. It starts to get chilly but the group chatting there don't really care about it. They are enjoying themselves, deep in conversations. Castle is sitting on the edge of the picnic blanket one hand securely embracing his wife, who sits close to him, head resting on his shoulder. They are listening their two kids arguing. Kate has a little smile on her lips when she looks at her son trying to explain something and she bursts out laughing when he reaches the pun of his story.

"And then..." Jamie pauses for a chuckle "... and then the professor came in... and … hahahaa... and we just ran as fast as we could." He can't stop laughing at his own story.

Rick raises his free hand to his lips and made teary eyed comment "I am so proud papa" and sighs. Kate elbows him in his ribs. "Stop it," she smiles. "I was hoping that you would grow up at some point and not teach your kid to misbehave," she tries to be serious but she can't because she is cracking up too.

"Hey, I didn't teach him," he argues. "He learned it all by himself." He smiles at James and urges him to speak, "Tell her, won't ya."

James just smiles at his mom and says, "He aims to misbehave." Jamie points to his father, "Of course I learned from the best," and ducks, because her sister is slapping his head.

"Heey, what was that for," he asks his sister.

"I just missed slapping your big head," Maddy teases him. "Haven't done that for a while, I kind of missed your ugly face." She smiles at James. He just smiles and pats her hand.

"Same here sister," he sighs. "I have missed your pimply face."

"What?" Maddy jerks her hand to her face. "I do not have any pimples," she announces.

"Kids!" Kate got her word in the middle of their starting word-fight before it could grow any bigger. "Stop, both of ya," she smiled at them. "Help us get this mess cleaned up," she starts to rise up and picks up the picnic basket.

"Mooom," James whined. "I just got back home, can I just pick on her for a little while?" he says, looking at Maddy, who is shooting daggers with her eyes. James continued, "I can clearly see that she have missed my sense of humor," he teases his little sister.

"Oh, shut up," Maddie laughs, planting her hand to Jamie's shoulder with a slap. "Honestly, I missed you, but you could have left your ugly wit at the campus," she retorts.

"Oooh, snap," Rick pokes his exclamation in the middle of the conversation while he picks up the picnic blanket.

Kate just laughs with her family. It was good to have them all back in here, in the city, with her. The last beams of sun rays fall behind the skyscrapers and leaving them in the darkness of the shadows. They pack up their things and start heading to the footpath, leading out from the park. Rick is carrying the picnic basket in one hand and his other hand is wrapped around Kate. Maddy and James are walking in front of them, poking fun at each other and laughing.

"It's good to have them both home," Rick whispers to Kate's ear, his breath making the hairs of her neck to react and she shivers involuntarily.

"Yeah," she sighs, leaning more against him. "I missed Jamie so much," she shares. "I know he is big boy, but having him away in university…" she sighs again "...I miss my child."

"I know. Me too," he embraces her a little bit harder and they continue walking and observing their children who are steeped into some kind of debate over ice cream.

"Hey mom, dad," James turns around suddenly and catches his parents' attention.

Both Kate and Rick look at him and he smiles at the, mischief in his eyes. Glancing for a moment towards Maddy he continues.

"We have a surprise for you," he beams.

"Ooh, really?" Rick looks at his son, surprise all over his face "What is it?"

"No, no, Dad, it wouldn't be a surprise, if I would tell it now, would it?" he teases his father.

"It better be something good then, if you are not telling." Rick is disappointed and pouts like a little child.

"Oh, believe me, it is!" Maddy exclaims, glowing with excitement. "Come on guys, walk a little bit faster. You can cuddle later."

Rick increases their walking speed to catch up with James and Maddy and soon they reach to the far east side of the park. James takes the direction of one limousine that was awaiting them. When he arrives next to it, he opens one door and points his sister to get inside.

Rick squints his eyes at his son and asks, "Where did you get this kind of money to rent a limousine?"

"I know where you keep your credit cards," he just answers.

Rick's face goes from confusion to a smirk of understanding and say, "Let me get this straight... You took my credit card to make a surprise for me and your mom? Isn't it like me making a surprise for me?" he concludes.

"I'm a poor starving student, as you remember," he interjects.

"We wanted to make this day special for you guys," Maddy cuts in. "Don't think about this, just enjoy what we have planned for you, okay?" she suggests.

"You two crazies, are such a hard-headed children," he sighs as he settles himself in the limousine seat.

"Next time, if you want to make a surprise, maybe consider making it more low key event?" Kate suggests while getting into the limousine. "That way you don't need steal your father's credit card," she looks at Maddy, because she knows, it could be only her who stole that credit card.

Maddy stares at her mom for a moment and retorts. "You two are going to have a really nice anniversary now, don't whine. It IS totally worth the stealing," and she smiles a wide smile to her mom. Kate looks her with her best interrogation stare, trying to make her squirm and pouring her eyes onto hers. But Maddy does the same thing, trying to piss her mom off. An eye to eye, neither of them yielding.

Finally Rick leans in, close to Kate's ear. "She is so much like you, it's still creepy," he whispers, causing the spell of the fighting stares to break and making both ladies laugh.

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After a short trip around the city they stop in front of one of popular bars. James hops off from the limo and asks the others to stay in for a second. He is away for a few minutes and comes back inviting them in. They stand in front of a beautiful building, made of white stone and marble. The sign over their head writes "The Apez". It is a newly opened bar with wonderful choice of bands and musicians entertaining the people almost every night. And the bar is very, very popular these days. Rick has wanted to bring his wife there several times, but these events have always been full and they couldn't get in. But this time, James had worked some magic and they got them in there.

"Did you have to sell your soul to get us in here?" Rick asks from his son as they enter the main event area. The bar is dimly lit, only the stage area has brighter lighting. Soft red seats everywhere create this intimate feeling to the entertainment area. When they reach their table in far end of the room the family settle down and James answers his father.

"Samuel's father owns The Apez. I asked him a favor and he got me tickets to this event. Isn't that cool?" he exhales, not managing to contain the excitement.

"Woah, this is soo cool." His father is as excited as his son. He feels Kate poking his arm and he looks to her. She is sitting next to Rick, holding his hand in one hand and her other hand is playing with his elbow.

She has the smile similar to a cat who has eaten the canary. She turns her glance to him and asks "Doesn't it bother you?"

"What?" he is confused. He looks Kate now more intensely.

She only smiles and says, "Doesn't it bother you that this time you didn't have a guy who knows a guy, but your son had. Seems that the student has become the teacher," she laughs.

He squints his eyes at her and laughs, "Never! I still have a guy everywhere. It was a beginners luck."

"Who is the entertainer here today?" Kate asks from James suddenly.

Maddy butts in and can't hold back the excitement. "It's Norah Jones today!" she beams. "Wasn't she one of your favourite singers?" she asks, looking at Kate.

"Yeah, she is," Kate answers. "She is here today? This is awesome!" she reaches out her hand and catches Maddy's one and caresses it. "How did you remember this?"

James answers before his sister can, "You always had it on your songlist, Dad. Whenever we're at home and we had these impromptu dance fests and playtimes, remember?"

"I did?" he is surprised. "Really? I am glad you remembered."

Their talk is interrupted by a waitress who comes to inquire what would they have for dinner there. After they place their orders, the band shows up to the stage and starts the show. Both of the kids and the parents are entranced with the show, they don't even notice when their appetizers arrived, not to mention about the food itself.

When one of the older songs starts, Kate and Rick turned their heads to each other in unison, as they recognized the song. She leans in to her and gives a lingering kiss to his lips. Smiling against his lips she sighs and whispers, "I love you, so much."

xxxxxxx

_It was dark evening, the sky was covered with clouds and the shadows played around the streets of New York. Castle was walking in a slow pace through the streets. His right hand was occupied with a smaller hand in his hold. It belonged to one Kate Beckett, walking beside him, matching his slow pace. They were wearing casual clothing, as they had just left precinct and together they had decided to walk around the city before they headed to the loft._

_They got to walk a few blocks, hand in hand, enjoying the conversations, discussing things and laughing at the jokes. Reaching to the new levels of their physical relationship was still exciting and they could not be without touching each other, crowding the personal space. It was a quite empty street they were walking on, only a few people strolling around. He decided that enough time had passed without feeling her lips on his and he stopped the steady rhythm of their walk and tugged her hand closer to him. She halted as he felt him stopping and turned to him, question in her face. As she saw him, the question disappeared when he leaned closer, catching her mouth with is. She melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back, matching the eagerness. _

_Suddenly the sky opened and it dropped a downpour over New York. The pair, kissing in the street, didn't notice anything at first. But when the droplets started to fall down heavily, they broke their kiss and tried to move away from rain, get somewhere dry. The rain was like a gray wall, coming down heavily. The two of them ran down the street as their clothing got soaked almost to the skin. They took cover in one doorway of the pub, the red and silvery canvas protecting them from the falling droplets. Catching their breaths, they leaned onto each other, both happy that they were not in the rain anymore. _

_Music from the pub sounded enchanting and Rick turned himself to peek inside. The warm pub seemed very inviting with this kind of weather. He wrapped his hand around Kate and turned her around. Together they entered the pub, their wet clothes felt damp and cold. The warmth of the pub welcomed them as they moved deeper inside to the roomy establishment. _

_The soft colours of the pub made them feel comfortable and cozy there as they decided to stay in there for a while - until the rain shower had past. They couldn't really go anywhere, anyway. She smiled at him, her hand covered with his hands, as they sat down in one corner booth of the entertainment area. _

_After removing the soaked jackets, they felt more relaxed. They settled into the seats, his hand cradling her shoulders and they enjoyed the turn of the events of this evening. They discovered that the entertainer of the night was Norah Jones, who quietly appeared on the stage and started singing her most recognized ballads. Both Kate and Rick were amazed how their quiet evening turned out to be quite interesting. _

_Many of the couples had found the area in front of the stage and were dancing slowly, swaying in sync with the music. Castle tugged his partner's hand and asked, "Would you do me the honour?" She gave him a shy smile as they both stood up and headed to the dance floor. _

_The tunes were slow and mellow like all creations of Norah Jones were. They relaxed into each other, slowly dancing, swinging around the floor. There was a pause between the songs and Kate placed her head to Rick's shoulder and settled deeper into his embrace. The soft voice of the singer started the new song. _

"_It's not the pale moon that excites me,_

_that thrills and delights me._

_Oh no, it's just the nearness of you."_

_She raised her head, from his shoulder, searching his eyes. She found the blue, bottomless orbs looking down at her. They both felt the words of the song. Not stopping their movements, they continued their slow dance, entranced with the shine of their eyes._

"_It isn't your sweet conversation,_

_that brings this sensation._

_Oh no, it's just the nearness of you."_

_When you're in my arms_

_and I feel you so close to me._

_All my wildest dreams came true"_

_He tightened his embrace around her, if it was still possible. The words of the song struck their heartstrings, making the feelings around them vibrate, their eyes shine. She couldn't stop looking at him. She understood the words. So did he. _

"_I need no soft lights to enchant me._

_If you will only grant me,_

_the right to hold you ever so tight_

_and to feel in the night _

_The nearness of you..."_

_When the song ended, the crowd started clapping softly. Neither of them noticed it. They were drowning in each other's eyes, unable to break the energy flowing between them. She gave him a soft nod and he brought his lips to hers, touching them tentatively like it was the first time he was allowed to touch them. Cherishing the feel of their connection, they just swayed there in their own rhythm, lips connecting, moving slowly against each other. Nothing else existed for them anymore, as they slowly danced, listening the song of their heartbeats. _

xxxxxxx

**A/N: I am sorry, sweetlings, that you had to wait the new chapter so long. I had a post-season-finale-writer's block at one point and I just couldn't update this. Now I hope some 2000 or more words will satisfy your hunger. I am working on my Scribbles fic as well, so I am not sure how fast I can update this. I try to do my best, I promise. **

**Thank you PenguinOfTroy, my literature angel that helps me out from every situation. I don't know what I would do without you. Also fooxoo, you are always here with your moral support. Thank you. **

**Now, sweetlings, please let me know what you think of this creation of mine. Does it need something to change? Are the characters too odd? Let me know! **


	4. No Interruptions

The loft is in silence. The ambience of the city lights casts shadows on the clean floor of the huge apartment. The only thing that disturbs the soft glow in the room are noises outside the front door. The voices, hushed at first, get louder until the sound of a key inserted into the lock ripples through the silence. The door opens slowly. The two voices get louder and the owners of them step in the apartment. The low rumbling laughter from the man makes his woman laugh and they move further into the apartment.

"I wonder what they were up to today," the male voice asks, whispering in his companion's ear. She turns herself to face her husband and snakes her arms around his waist. She closes the distance between them and her lips touch his with slow, teasing pace. He melts into the kiss and surrounds her body with his strong arms. They stay like that for awhile, slowly, leisurely kissing and enjoying the closeness of each other.

Finally they part and she untangles her arms around him. "We should go in," she whispers, before she pushes herself away from him and turns her body towards the kitchen area. He follows her closely, trying not to lose any contact with her body. They reach closer to the kitchen and suddenly some flickering light catches their attention. Kate stops her movement abruptly, making Rick, who had been following her closely, crash into her. He raises his head and then sees it too.

Beautiful candlesticks decorate the dinner table, lit candles shedding light on a bowl of ice-cream that sits in the center. The ice cream with all of its toppings looks deviously delicious. At the far end of the table, there laid an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne in it, a bowl of strawberries just next to it. Kate smiles at the sight and steps closer to desserts. Then, a little envelope catches her attention. It has _"Mom and Dad"_ written on it. She closes in the last few steps to the table and reaches for the envelope. She opens it and reads as a smile crawls across her face, then she extends the letter to Rick. The letter reads:

"_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_Happy anniversary! Mads and I are staying at Grandpa's house tonight, don't worry about us. Have a beautiful anniversary evening and enjoy it! _

_See you in the morning._

James

_P.S. Believe me, this champagne is really good."_

Kate chuckles at her son's last statement. He has a big heart and a wicked sense of humour, just like his father. Rick raises his eyes from the letter and looks to his wife's brown, sweet orbs.

"I guess this explains what they were up to," he smirks. "Sneaking out from Apez, making excuses," he chuckles and shakes his head.

"Our children are just too wonderful," she says. "Is it bad to say I miss them, when we are about to have the best date night in a long while?" she chuckles. Rick nods and answers "Nope, its not wrong. I miss them constantly, when they are not around. But maybe, for tonight, we can let it slip and enjoy what they have organized for us," he tugs their joined hands. "Let's sit, shall we?"

Both of them sit down in unison. While Kate fishes out the spoons from the ice cream bowl, her husband is opens the champagne bottle and pours the delicious liquid into the glasses. Rick extends his arm with a glass to Kate and she takes one glass from his hands. He raises his glass above to the ice-cream bowl, to reach Kate's raised glass. They clink them together and he proposes a toast.

"To our children" he says and shares a dazzling smile. "To date nights!" he raises his voice even more up. Kate lets loose a bubbling laugh from her chest and they both take a sip of the champagne.

"Now, let's dig in!" he proposes and they start eating. The silence takes hold of the loft for a little while, as they both eat.

"Mmm... its just tooo good..." she murmurs, mouth full of chocolatey ice-cream. "What is that ice cream, why have I never tasted this thing before" she wonders out loud.

"Our boy knows how to work magic, I guess," he chuckles. "Oooh, try this one!" he exclaims as he holds out the spoon to Kate. She opens her mouth and takes in the delicious spoonful of ice cream.

"Ooohm, yum, ith ish shoo ghood" she tries to speak as she is still eating the icy goodness. After she swallows the ice cream, she smiles a beaming smile at her husband.

"This is one perfect night," she sighs, as she goes for another bite of ice cream.

"Oh, you have no idea." he winks at her.

xxxxxxx

After they had cleaned up the dinner table and kitchen, she stands in front of the bookcases leading into his office. She is deep in thought as two strong hands land on her hips and sneak into her shirt. She lets loose a startled laugh as she feels a mouth on her neck. She leans back and gives a better access to her neck. He is standing behind her, like a wall, his soft lips caressing her pulse point. She succumbs into the feelings. He works his way up to her lips and she moans as he kisses her with fierceness. He turns her around, to face him, as he is walking her backwards. Soon, her shoulders touch the bookcase and she lets out another moan as he is now kissing her neck again.

He slows his movements and she feels his lips as he is whispers "We are alone tonight." She lets out a breathy laugh.

"And?" she asks back.

"It means we can do whatever we want..." he whispers into her ear and bites it tenderly. She shudders. "Mmmm..." is all she can say.

xxxxxxx

_The door closed with a low bang and she felt hands on her hips, pulling her back. Before she could protest she was turned around and pushed against the front door. She barely could suck in breath when his lips were on her mouth, tongue searching for entrance. She moans into his mouth, all thoughts of protests dissolved into thin air. Only his body and his lips against hers matter. Time and space could cease to exist, she wouldn't even noticed it. They parted for a moment, both gasping in the sweet air that they so forcefully need. He smiled against her cheek and continued his trail of kisses along her jawline. She lets loose another moan as he finds her sweet spot on her neck. _

_They had been together for two weeks since their first crazy, awesome, maddening, mind blowing night together. They haven't had much a chance to be alone, to be intimate in those two short weeks. They had been running around, chasing leads and running from Maddox. After he went missing, they went over all leads again, but they came up empty handed. Today was the first night in those weeks they could have time for themselves - so he had decided to have dinner with her. To have a real date with her. It had been a really good idea - the fancy restaurant and all. But he couldn't keep his hands to himself anymore, since he was allowed to touch her, to drive her mad. Her reaction to his touch hadn't made anything better during their stay at the restaurant, making them both want more, yearn for more intimate things. He desperately needed to touch her. And now they were here, he just couldn't hold back anymore. _

"_I have been wanting to do this all day," he mumbled, as he bit her earlobe. She shuddered. The words in her head didn't make any sense to her anymore. She brought her lips down to his neck, as he was doing delicious things with hers. She emanated a low growl as he slid off his jacket and let it fall to the floor. _

"_Mmmmh," she answered. "I think we should get this party somewhere else," she threw out an idea, too weak to move from their position against the front door. _

"_It'll be..." he mouthed as he was kissing her jawline again, "...alright in here." _

"_What about..." she got distracted, as his mouth descended on hers again, "... Alexis?" she finished the sentence as they surface to breathe again. _

_He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "She should be away, she talked about a sleepover at her friend's place," he answered her breathy question as he was unbuttoning her shirt. Her nimble fingers were doing the same with his. His mouth touched hers again and she was slowly moving his shirt from his shoulders. _

"_I still think we should move away... at least from front door," she said finally, when they could gasp for air again. He sighed against her mouth. He shedded his shirt and trying to do the same with hers._

"_Fine," he answered and pulled away from the door and her body. He didn't leave her behind, grabbing her hips, he angled her steps towards his study, making her lead. She chuckled at his reactions, when she tried to wiggle free from him, turning her body away from his. Halfway to the study, he decided that she was too far from him and pulled her back to him with force. She made a sound of "oompf" as his chest collided with her back. _

_"Don't you run away from me, woman" he growled and attacked her neck. She smiled as they slowly reached the bookcases, leading to the study. When he turned her around again, she really didn't protest anymore, since she wanted the same things, more forcefully than him. The need was singing in her veins and her reddened cheeks were a beacon of light for him. He pushed her against the shelf and started nibbling her again. She felt her elbow colliding with something and a loud crash followed. He didn't seem to notice it, neither did she. _

"_Dad, are you home?" A loud voice shrilled through the loft from upstairs. That caught his attention. They pulled apart abruptly, leaving her with her shirt open and him without his shirt. He panicked as she was quickly opening the door to the study, pulling him in. They heard footsteps from the stairs and between their breaths, they listened as Alexis came down the stairs._

"_Dad?" she inquired again. She stopped when she saw the trail of clothing leading into his study. She smiled._

"_Dad, I know you are in here," she called for him again, they could hear amusement in her voice. _

"_Yes, I'm in here" he answered from his study, sounding out of breath. He was holding onto Kate, pressing her against the door. They both were silent, but still reeling from the kisses they had shared before. _

"_I just wanted to say I am heading off to Allison's now," Alexis shouted from the main room. _

"_Have a good night, Dad, Kate," and after that they hear a front door close again and the loft fell into the silence. _

_He let his head fall to her shoulder as she started laughing. He joined in with her chuckles. _

"_That was close," she commented._

"_It was," he answered. _

"_I thought you said Alexis was away?" She asked from him, as he moved away, grabbing her hands. _

"_I thought she was away" he truthfully answered, while leading them to his bedroom. She followed him, as she has no choice. Her hands were linked to his and he had a firm hold on her. They entered the bedroom and he leads them to his bed. Standing in front of it, he cradled her body and started kissing her again, now in much more slower pace, enjoying the journey and igniting the need again._

"_No interruptions anymore," he moaned, as her cold hands started roaming around his chest. _

xxxxxxx

**A/N: I am sorry for the long wait. Last few weeks have been crazy, I have been updating my other fic (Scribbles and Whiskers) and I have had a trip to my relatives' place who live in Finland. Graduations and stuff. They take away all the energy. I hope you like the new installment for this fic too. **

**Thanks for Fooxoo – brainstorming with you helped a lot. My sweet editors – Jerryst316 and PenguionOfTroy – I owe you so much! Thanks!**

**Please, please, my friends, use this nice blue button that says 'Review' on it. I need your thoughts and ideas! Tell me how you like it... Or not like it. **


	5. Nightmares vs Sunshine

**A/N: Firstly – I want to apologize that it took so much time to update this particular fic. I have been working on my other fic „Scribbles and Whiskers", so I kind of put this fic in the back of my mind. Now, most of my guilt took over and I decided to write this. I hope you like it. Dun't kill me please?**

**xxxxxxxxx**

_The mellow light shined through the curtains, making the room glow in golden colour. His senses started to awaken slowly and he came to consciousness again. There was a warm body lying against him, breathing in slow rhythm, making the hairs on his chest move. It tickled a bit. Without opening his eyes he chuckled as he felt the breath again. Slowly, he opened his eyes and sucked in the feeling of her beside him. He hadn't felt like this in a really long time. Loved, cherished, consumed._

_He turned his head to look at the sleeping form beside him. She looked so fragile, so small, like a porcelain doll. Her eyes closed, she sighed contently in her sleep. She was adorable. This was the first time he saw her like this. He absorbedevery inch of her being, just because he could. She was there, finally. She was there with him. And that was all that mattered._

_Her eyes were closed – her long lashes rested against her cheeks. The mascara she had on was smudged and he could see tiny traces of it on her face. She winced in her sleep and mumbled something. This made him smile. Her hair was messy – rain and last night's activities had taken its toll and now the strands sticking up every kind of direction. He loved it though. The soft light from the window in the study casted a shine to her auburn hair and made it look like an exotic crown around her head. Messy, but oh so lovely. He wanted to raise his fingers and softly tuck the individual strands that ran over her face behind her ear._

_He fought that urge because he wanted her to sleep. Sleep the pain away. He knew that she was an emotional wreck. So much had happened the day before. She had mentioned some of it, but there were still so many things he didn't know. He knew that she needed the time to relax and just be. A breather before the rain came down on them. He could feel it wasn't done yet. Something was in the air, but he couldn't grasp what it was._

_He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes again. He didn't want to think about it anymore. He wanted to have this cocoon of lightness and love for her. Protect her from the dark forces of the world. The forces that loomed into the shadows and crawled closer every time they turned their back on them. Instinctively, he the wrapped arms around her pulled her into a tighter embrace. One of his arms was somewhere beneath her and moving made it all tingly and itchy. The arm had pins and needles all over. Oh, she had been sleeping in this kind of embrace for a long time then. He moved his arm again, trying to roll her off a bit and free the half-dead limb. With a little glee of success, he managed to retrieve his hand without waking her up. While he was shaking his arm to try to get the blood flow back there, his gaze slowly travelled back to the woman in his bed. _

_As the tingling of the arm subsided he slowly laid his head back to the pillow and watched her sleeping. She was just gorgeous when she was sleeping. The lilac sheet covered most of her body, up to her neck, forming a cocoon around her. He still couldn't believe she was there. It felt like a dream. A very nice dream. After all that had happened the day before. The emotional rollercoaster – for both of them. Her near-death adventures on the roof. Soaking in the rain and coming to his doorstep. Begging him to forgive her. It all had taken its toll. _

_He sighed as he stopped his mind from wandering around. 'Just stop thinking' he said to himself. She was there. She was there..._

_Her sleeping face was like a magnet for him and he couldn't make his arms stay still anymore. He reached out and tucked the lonely hair from her face back behind her ear. The movement made her shift in her sleep a little and he felt her reacting to his touch. But she didn't open her eyes. His hand rested on her cheek while her breathing evened out again. _

_He tentatively touched her lashes with his thumb. Ever so softly, not wanting to wake her up. Those lashes were so long, so beautiful. Behind those closed lids, he knew, there were her bottomless green-hazel eyes that he couldn't fathom the depths of if his life depended on it. He knew, once she opened her eyes, he would fall in love with her over and over again. Slowly, he moved his thumb over her soft lashes, just enjoying the feeling. Just then, he felt her stir and starting to blink her eyes. He quickly removed the thumb, not wanting to scare her. His fingers remained in contact with her cheek. After few quick rapid movements, she opened her eyes. He could see different emotions running through her - surprise, confusion, recognition, love. He could see her eyes getting warmer as the final emotion reached her. She smiled sleepily and opened her mouth, while covering his hand with hers. _

"_Hi," came the sleepy voice from her mouth. _

_He cradled her cheek with his palm and moved his thumb against her temple. She looked absolutely adorable. Messy, puffy-eyed, sleepy - but absolutely adorable. It was the side of her he hadn't seen before and he wanted to enjoy that as much as he could. _

"_Hi," he said too. _

_He shifted himself closer to her and caught her lips with his. Their breath mingled in soft kiss and she sighed softly. He retreated a bit and looked to her eyes. They were alert, but not guarded. He couldn't do nothing but smile to her._

"_Good morning," he said. _

"_Gmornin," he heard a groggy answer. _

_"How did you sleep?" he inquired. _

_She smiled and brought out her arms beneath the folds of the bed sheets. She yawned and stretched herself, wiggling her fingers and toes. The movement shifted the sheet away from her upper body, revealing her breasts. She heard a sharp intake of breath from him. She looked back to him again. When she realized what he saw there, she quickly started to cover her chest. But he stopped her by grasping her hands into his, eyes never leaving the valley between the breasts._

_He hadn't seen the round scar in the daylight before. Last night, he only could feel it under his fingertips, while they roamed and mapped her body. But today, he could see it too. He was so engrossed by looking at the scar, he didn't notice anything else for a moment. When she started to feel shy and raised her hands to cover her naked breasts, he stopped her. He needed to see. He needed this. _

_She was quietly observing his actions when he leaned closer and softly kissed the puckered area of the scar. It was so tiny. He let go of her hands and brought them to her chest. He could hear the pace of her breathing became quicker. Tenderly, he touched the smooth skin of her breast with one hand while the other one was caressing the scar. He found the second scar too, under her left breast. His fingers travelled there, eagerly mapping the surface of uneven her skin. He skimmed over the bigger scar when he heard a gasp from her. It shattered the spell of his trance and he looked to her face._

_Her eyes were big. He could see the traces of fear there, mingling with slight panic. _

_"Castle..." her breathy voice had a note of fear in it. _

_The corners of his mouth raised up a bit as he was trying to reassure her. She was there now. No bullets, no fire, no ice, no water. She was there. They had lived through so much to get that point. Now, he will never going to let her go again. She is his. _

_He bent down to kiss her scar. And then he saw them. His focus shifted from her scar to big black-blue marks under her skin. They were all over her chest, scattered around. And also choking marks on her neck. Traces of a fight. What the hell happened to her? He touched one of the bruises his finger and she winced in pain._

"_Kate..." he choked out her name. _

_When she didn't respond anything, he raised his head, searching for her eyes. But they were closed, pressed tightly together. _

_"Kate..." he tried again. "What happened?" _

_She choked back a sob and opened her eyes. Looking to his questioning eyes. _

"_I fought," she answered. Her voice trembled. "He was so strong. I couldn't do anything. I was powerless."_

"_Oh, Kate..." was all he could say before he shifted himself so he could catch her lips with his. She was about to say something, but he swallowed it. He wanted to kiss the pain away, the worry away. Everything. He wanted her to be safe. _

_She opened her mouth to him, letting him inside. It felt like heaven. Hot, wet and sweaty heaven. His scent surrounded her and his lips made her forget all around her. She focused on moving her lips against his, searching for more friction. It felt so good. She could be like this forever. Not caring, not thinking, just feeling._

_The shrill of the phone cut through the air like a sword, making them both jerk awake from their earthly bliss. He groaned to her mouth. He didn't want this spell to end. He needed this, he needed this with her. No matter how much they were together last night, he still needed her. Needed to feel her, surround her. _

"_Don't answer," he heard her whisper. But it was too late. He had already moved away, trying to reach his phone. It was in the pocket of his jeans. On the ground. He groaned when he reached for them. He pulled the jeans to his lap and smiled apologetically to her. _

"_It might be Alexis." he explained. _

_Finally he got his phone. Smoothly tracing the screen with his finger, he answered the call._

"_Hello."_

_The illusion of happiness shattered. Gates. Maddox, Ryan, Esposito. The hell was on the loose. They needed to move. Now. _

xxxxxxxxx

"No... no... no... noooooooooooo... RICK!" she wakes up screaming. For a moment there, she is completely confused. The craziness of her dreams still haunting her thoughts, she starts to recognize her surroundings. She is in their room - room filled with weak sunlight that has somehow escaped through the blinds. She shudders, shaking off the memories of her deep dream.

"You alright?" she hears a sleepy voice coming from her left. She turns to face her husband. He looks like he really wants to sleep, but his eyes are alert and worried. She gives him a weak smile and tries to calm him down.

"Yeah."

"Was it the dream again?" he asks.

She chuckles lightly. "Which one of them?"

It's like a running joke in their family. They have faced too many life and death situations together and alone, they have too many things that give them both nightmares from time to time. When James was a little boy, he managed to lose him in the Central Park. They both had been worried sick. Luckily they managed to find the crazy kid in few hours, but it gave Kate nightmares for years. She still had the horrible dreams every now and then. So did he.

He snuggles closer to her, laces his arms around her and buries his nose to her hair.

"You get so scared when you see him again. In your dreams," his muffled sound comes from somewhere close to her shoulder.

"Yeah," she agrees. "It was him." She shakes her head, wanting to shrug off the age-old nightmare. Maddox, his team. The case. The whole shebang. Strong arms around her hug her tighter. Rick understands. He was there. He knows they both went to hell and back. They survived.

"What was it this time?" he wants to know.

"You know, the usual," she really doesn't want to elaborate. She hadn't felt this scared after a dream for years.

"Mmmmhh," he mumbles something in her hair. He raises his head and offers. "Me, getting shot again, dying?"

She nods wordlessly. "Yes." She cannot stop her surfacing tears. She tries to take in one deep breath. Rick notices the shift in her breathing and raises his head to look at his wife. She is blinking hard and holding back tears.

"Ooohh, honey..." he pulls her impossibly close, covering her. Kissing her eyes softly, he forces them to close. Slowly, he makes his way to her mouth. She is waiting for him already. They both sigh as their lips meet. She eagerly responds to the movements of his lips. The heat starts slowly building in her body again. It takes so little time. Even when two decades has passed, they still have the spark in their relationship. Heat never ceases, their actions never stop. She moans against his mouth, when his tongue makes its way to her mouth and the sweet friction is driving them both crazy. He moves his leg over her legs and presses the full weight on her.

"Daaaad! Kaateee!" the loud voice carries through the bedroom door.

The pair separates quickly, surprise on their faces. "Here!" Kate yells through the closed door.

"Oh, shit!" Rick swears while he frantically tries to find his pants somewhere on the ground. Kate quickly slips into the nightgown. Rick makes his way back to bed as they hear a quick as the paddling of two pairs of feet descend to the direction of the bedroom.

The door flies open. A cloud of red hair rains in. "Grandma Kate! Grandda!" two voices yell at the same time. And as quickly as they made their way there, two redheads have jumped to bed.

"Sophie! Sarah!" Kate cheers back to the two girls jumping in their bed. "Come here and give me a hug."

As the two girls giggle and jump to the embrace of their grandmother. "I have missed you so bad, girls!" she sighs as she is hugging them hard.

"Me too!" one of the girls cheers as she jumps between the extended arms of Rick. "Me too too!" the other one giggles and goes to greet her grandfather too.

"My crazy girls are home!" Rick squeezes the girls and raises them up from the bed - making the younglings squeal.

"Oh, here you two are!" they hear a voice coming through the now open door. Alexis appears at the doorstep, smiling at the sight of her young twins in the embrace of her dad.

"Alexis!" he cheers. He releases Sophie and Sarah from her iron grip and steps out of the bed to hug her oldest. "You're home!"

Alexis steps into the embrace and sighs. "Yes, I am home at last."

In the meantime, Kate has stepped out of the bed and puts her robe on. When the father and daughter separate from their embrace, Alexis comes to greet Kate with a hug too.

"Hi, dear," Kate mumbles to Alexis' hair, when they hug. "I have missed you so much!"

"Me too," the redhead sighs as well.

"Come on, guys!" Rick catches the energetic kids running around his bedroom. "Lets go greet the others!"

He gives the biggest smile to his wife and daughter, when he steps out of the bedroom, carrying two crazy redheads in the direction of the living area.

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**I want to thank all the sweethearts who took time and reviewed my fic. Honestly, you rock. You make me smile so bad, when I get a new review, and makes my heart melt, one piece at the time. **

**I really do hope that you like this chapter too and let me know about it. **

**P.S. HOPEFULLY, I will update it sooner this time. **


	6. Family time

**A/N: I really really want to apologize for not updating this story for months. I haven't had the right inspiration and … oh well. I think this will be a good chapter to tie it off. Maybe someday I will get some more ideas and I will continue it. But firstly, I need to be done with my Diplomacy fic and Castle Con. **

**Happy reading, darlings!**

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"Sarah! Sophie! Get down from there!" the call of a pretty red haired woman echoes through the loft. Kate and Rick look at each other in surprised amusement. They are sitting in front of their kitchen counter, when they hear soft voice of one of the girls murmuring "Uh oh," and the sound of two pairs of feet landing to the floor. Rick observes with laughter in his eyes the twins run by the kitchen in order to find a hiding place from their mother.

"I just love how your genes have skipped exactly one generation," Kate says, grinning widely, looking at her husband in the corner of her eye.

"Hahaa, yes, nicely put," he lets loose a soft laugh at her words and plants a kiss to her hair. They are both snuggled against each other, as they observe the family chaos in the room. The twins had decided that the living room couch is their new fortress and they were playing all over it, before their mom interrupted all their fun. Kate cranes her head to see where the two redheads went.

She whispers softly to Rick's ear. "I think they hid in the closet." She points her finger to the slightly open doors near to the front door. He chuckles out loud.

"Oh, I missed those crazies," he confesses, wide grin on his face.

Kate nods against his shoulder and hums softly "Me too."

The silence conquers the loft while the pair of them continues to snack at the counter. Suddenly, Kate is awoken from her slight daydream by a small tug of her shirt. She looks down and there is a little boy standing there, arms stretched out, waiting for him to be pulled into the lap.

"Oh, Sebastian!" Kate softly says and takes the little boy into her lap. "Where did you sneak in here? I thought you were hiding with your sisters?" She talks softly, playing with the red curls of his hair.

The boy shakes his head and smiles at her, raising his little fingers to his mouth to nibble them lightly.

"Where are your sisters?" she tries again. She hears a giggling from the closet nearby. Sebastian cranes his head towards the sound of the giggling, but shakes his head, his smile from ear to ear. Kate cannot not to smile back at her. The little boy with impossibly blue eyes and red hair reminds her so much of Alexis. He is too adorable.

"Grammy?" his soft voice gets her attention.

"Yes?" she asks, tickling the boy's tummy lightly and making him laugh.

"Ice-cweam?" he asks after his little fit of laughter.

"No ice-cream before the lunch," comes a firm answer next to Kate. Rick tries to put a serious face but he is failing, his smile peeking through the facade.

The frown in Sebastian's face is so funny, he can't hide his laughter anymore. He lets loose a full hearted laughter which makes the little boy laugh too. The boy extends his arms from Kate's lap to make Rick to lift him to his lap. Rick does it with no hesitation, holding the little boy close to him. Kate just looks the two of them and smiles. Her men.

"Grampa," the boy asks again. "Ice-cweam?"

Rick smiles a soft smile to him and shakes his head. "Lunch first, then ice-cream."

"ICE CREAM!" there is a yell in the closet and makes their grandparents laugh out loud.

With that, Alexis steps into the room, making the girls shut up in the closet.

"Are they all in the closet?" Alexis asks with a whisper, her hair tucked away in a braid, wearing a simple shirt and jeans. Kate smiles and nods to her.

"Where are my crazy girls?" she asks, raising her voice, so the girls can hear it. It makes the occupants of the closet giggle. The girls shush each other, trying to be quiet, but they are too overstimulated and giggly to manage that. Alexis walks to the closet silently.

She opens the door with one quick move and says "Haaa! Here you are!"

Both girls let loose high pitched screams and they run out of the closet. Alexis huffs out a breath of laughter when she watches her two twin girls head to the living room couch to hide behind that.

"Girls!" she calls out. "Stop messing around with the couch and come sit to the table. It's Lunchtime!"

With that, both Rick and Kate rise from their stools in unison. Rick doesn't put Sebastian down and hikes him up to his hip and they walk to the fridge. Sarah and Sophie dart out behind the couch and they race to the table.

"I won!" one of them yells.

"No, I did!" the other ones answers with the same intensity. And the girls start arguing.

"Girls!" Kate draws the attention of the 5-year olds to herself, when she is nearing to the table with a plate full of warm food. "You both won. Now, hurry up and wash your hands and come back to the table, so we can eat."

The girls make the pouty faces but they don't want to start arguing with their grandmother, so they yield and run to the kitchen sink and back in no time. Rick arrives to the table with Sebastian in one hand and a large plate in other hand. He puts the plate to the table and places little boy next to his sisters. Alexis gets the last of the things from the fridge and with her husband arriving to the table, they all sit down and start eating.

Suddenly the front door opens. Maddie and Jamie step in and the twin girls forget about their food. Both of them flee from the table and surging for two of the new arrivals.

"Maddy! Jamie!" the girls squeal as they are crowding them both. Jamie crouches down and picks one of them up.

"It's so good to see you, girls!" he says as Sophie is squirming in his arms. "Oh my, look at how big you both are!" he exclaims, making the girls giggle. Maddie takes Sarah to her embrace and both of the kids greet the people sitting in the table too.

Kate gets up from the table and makes her way to her kids. She hugs Maddie and then Jamie together with Sophie.

"I am glad you are home. How was Grandpa?" She asks, smiling at them.

"Pops is holding up," Jamie answers. "He was really glad to see us. He told us to tell you... How was it, Maddie?" Jamie looks at her baby sister, grinning wildly.

"Eh, something about you dragging your skinny butt to the suburbs sometimes," Maddie laughs "He used different words, though."

Kate lets loose a laugh. Of course. "Haha, I bet he did. We should visit him soon, right, Rick?" she turns herself to face her husband who has also gotten up from the table.

"Of course. Tell me when and we'll go." he nods and brushes past her to greet Jamie and Maddie.

Alexis and Samuel has made their way to the front door as well, hugging both of the kids. Alexis is genuinely happy to see her siblings over long time being apart. She hugs them both hard and laughs at Jamie's jokes. Finally, they all make their way back to the living area of the loft.

"Come, kids. Sit" Kate finally says, going towards the cupboard. He takes two more plates and places them to the empty spaces in the table. "Let's finish the lunch."

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Finally when all of the extended family has settled around the table and chatting loudly over the lunch, Kate leans in to her husband. She rests her head on his shoulder and sighs.

"You okay?" he asks softly, placing a kiss to her hair.

"Yeah," she smiles and observes the slight chaos that is going around the room.

"Then what's wrong?" he asks. He places his hand to her waist and pulls her closer to him, trying to provide support and love.

"Nothing's wrong," she assures to him. She raises her head and looks him into the eye. "I am just glad. The whole family is here. Our family."

He smiles back to her. He knows exactly what she feels in that moment. It has been too long since they all have been together. It feels so darn good. He also cannot help himself and places a soft kiss against her lips.

"I know," he whispers. "Our family."

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**A/N: I really hope you liked it! Thanks for being so generous and reviewing me all through this story. This little thing I wanted to get out of my system and now here it is. I love it, I hope you do too! **

**I'll say you goodbye with this fic for now. Hopefully, one day, I'll be back.**

**Thanks lv2bnsb for being my awesome beta! Love ya!**


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